Welcome Home
by xBeautifulxLittlexFoolx
Summary: Lucy/Capsian Christmas fluff in honor of the holiday! AU after VotDT and as though the events of SC never take place. A college-age Lucy is lonely and upset on Christmas night. Her walk through downtown London proves to her once again that unexpected things do happen and she is reunited with an old friend. Currently a one-shot but I may expand later. Read/review always welcome!


**A/N: In honor of Christmas, I've decided to write some Caspian/Lucy Christmas-themed fluff. I guess you would call this fluff. I don't write much fluff, but I really love them so why not? Loosely inspired by "Christmas Lights" by Coldplay (and by that I mean I steal one line).**

No matter how hard she tried, she was never going to be able to make the painting look right. She had gotten the effect of the light right, and the umbrella was as red as it needed to be, but overall the painting lacked a certain… magic. She sighed, taking a long sip of her holiday blend tea.

She missed Narnia. She always missed Narnia, but it was especially hard at Christmas, especially because this was the first year she was spending without her sibling. Peter was on business in America, Susan was vacationing with her husband in Paris, and Edmund had stayed at Oxford. Lucy was alone in London. Well, not _alone_, she reminded herself. She was staying with John, her boyfriend of sixteen and a half months.

She would have rather been alone. All she and John did anymore was fight. They had had a rather terrible row earlier over the eggs she had burnt for breakfast. She just wasn't domestic. She would never be a good housewife, not the way Susan was. John was great and all, but he wanted something that Lucy could never be.

"I'm going for a walk," she announced, realizing that if she stayed in the apartment any longer she would burst into tears.

"Don't be ridiculous," John said. "It's Christmas."

"You're ignoring me anyway," she said, grabbing her coat. "You won't miss me. I'll be back within the hour."

"Lucy…" John pleaded.

"I said I'll be back within the hour."

She slammed the door and walked down from her apartment. She walked the streets of London. Throughout the city, lights hung on porches and across rooftops. Fires burned in people's living rooms. Carolers stood on the street corner. A beggar hummed out of tune, reminding Lucy vaguely of a Dickens novel.

It hadn't even snowed. Damn England weather. It was just cold and vaguely rainy. She walked down to where the sea and city met, thinking of her first time in Narnia, in that long winter. What she would give for some of that snow now.

She smiled, thinking of when the curse started to break and Father Christmas had given them gifts. If only she still believed in Father Christmas. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so sad.

She saw a small building that she didn't remember ever seeing before. Always adventurous, she approached it cautiously. It was a dingy bar.

Well, on a day like today, she could use a drink. What the hell? She opened the door and walked in.

It looked so different on the inside than it did on the outside that Lucy knew immediately it hadn't been what it looked like at all.

She gasped out loud and had to force herself not to cry. She was home. She was afraid to breathe. Aslan told her she wouldn't ever return, and yet here she was, inside a Narnian palace.

"Who goes there?" a voice hollered.

Lucy would recognize that voice anywhere. She turned around and put her hands to her face to try to hide the childlike grin on her face.

Upon meeting her eyes, the Narnian king bowed deeply. "Queen Lucy? To what do I owe this honor?"

"Aslan, I suppose," she replied. "Though I'm not sure how or why. Oh, Caspian, I'm so _happy_ to be back!" She should have returned his formalities with a curtsy, but all of a sudden she felt like she was twelve again and she ran to him and threw her arms around him.

He hugged her back, holding her tight. "It's so good to see you again."

"You too," she said, willing her joyful tears not to fall.

"How old are you?" he asked, looking at her in a way he never had before.

"Nineteen," she said. "How many years have passed here since our voyage?"

"Only a year and a half," he said.

"Are you… married?"

Maybe it wasn't a proper question. Maybe she didn't really want to know the answer. But Caspian had been her first crush, back when she and her siblings had helped him overthrow his evil uncle and reestablish the kingdom of Narnia as it should be. It was never a realistic match – he had been much older than she had, he had seemed to fancy her older sister, and, of course, Aslan had made her return to England.

Lucy wasn't stupid. She knew she wasn't a little girl anymore. She saw how Caspian was looking at her. It wasn't the way you looked at a little sister, as it had been before. Maybe she was crazy, but she could hope that there was something there.

"No," he said. "Are you?"

"No," she said.

He smiled. "Good. I'm glad we got that out of the way. Would you like to come for dinner? The Christmas feast should be on the table soon."

"It's Christmas here too?" she asked. "I just left Christmas in England. Of course I'll come."

Caspian grabbed her hand and led her down the hall. "Lucy," he said. "You're gorgeous."

She blushed. "I'm really not," she said, ducking her head to hide the blush that was creeping across her face.

He stopped her, pushing her sandy blonde locks out of her eyes. "No," he said. "You really are."

"So are you," she said. She immediately gasped. "I mean… I didn't… I mean…"

He laughed. "Thank you, my queen," he said. "I really am glad you're back."

"I am too," she said. "Home for the holidays."

"Narnia is home for you, isn't it?" he asked.

"Oh yes," she said. "I've never felt at home in my world."

"I wish you could stay forever," he said.

"I do too," she said.

"Maybe this time it is," he said encouragingly.

"Maybe," she said.

Caspian stood awkwardly for a moment. "Lucy, if I may… I'd like to kiss you."

"Oh!" she gasped.

He looked down to the ground. "Oh," he said. "If you don't… I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries. I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

"No!" she said. "I mean, don't be sorry. I just… you took me by surprise."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"In the best way possible."

"Is that a yes?"

"I waited seven years in England," she said. "Of course it's a yes."

The kiss started off slow and soft. It was everything Lucy could have hoped.

"What do you say, Your Majesty?" Caspian asked when they were done, foreheads touching and eyes locked. "Was it worth the wait?"

Her heart was pounding. "Oh yes."

"Welcome home, Lucy," he said, kissing her again.

**Awww they're so cute. Definitely not the best writing I've ever done, but that's alright. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. If I get inspiration/interest, I might continue it. Reviewing is much appreciated. Merry Christmas to all! **


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